Costs of Vision Impairment
Vision problems in people over 40 costs the US economy an estimated $35.4 billion a year. Specifically, $16.2 billion in direct medical costs, $11.1 billion in other direct costs and $8 billion in productivity losses (Prevent Blindness America, 2007).
The study also found direct medical costs to be $6.8 billion for cataracts, $5.5 billion for refractive error, $2.9 billion for glaucoma, $575 million for AMD and $493 million for diabetic retinopathy.
In 1991, Medicare spent an estimated $3.4 billion for 1.35 million episodes of cataract surgery (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, 1993).
Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure among Medicare beneficiaries. Furthermore, among Medicare beneficiaries, cataract is the most common condition for which eyecare services are sought, accounting for 43 percent of visits to ophthalmologists and optometrists combined (National Advisory Eye Council, 1998, p. 60).
In 1991, Medicare spent an estimated $3.4 billion for 1.35 million episodes of cataract surgery (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, 1993).